By Joshua Olomu
Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, Executive Secretary/CEO of National Institute for Cultural Orientation(NICO), has called for the integration of cultural studies in Nigeria school curricula.
He made the call in his goodwill message on Thursday as Nigeria joins rest of the World to mark the first International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
According to him, integrating cultural studies in the nation’s educational curricula will help preserve eroding diverse and rich cultural heritage for the next generation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 42nd session of the General Conference of UNESCO in November 2023 declared October 17 as the International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage(ICH).
The day mark a pivotal moment for celebrating and safeguarding cultural expressions globally and underscores the essential role intangible heritage plays in promoting global unity, sustainability, and cultural diversity.
To mark this first edition in 2024, States Parties and other stakeholders of a 2003 UNESCO convention are expected to raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding the diversity and richness of living heritage.
Ajiboye said in line with the objectives of the ICH day, it was expedient for stakeholders to brainstorm and suggest sustainable ways to preserve Nigeria’s intangible cultural assets, such as its languages.
According to him, one of the ways to promote cultural renaissance, especially among young people, is to integrate the study of culture in schools curricula.
“One of the major problems confronting our culture is that our young people are no longer interested in it,and the moment young people are not interested in their culture, it will die.
“A French friend of mine once told me that to kill a person does not need a nuclear weapon or atomic bomb, you just take their culture away from them
“We are at the moment struggling to ensure that our culture is brought back to the young people and this is why I suggest we integrate the study of our culture in school curricula.
“We at NICO have started a school called the Nigerian Academy for Cultural Studies, that school runs like a mono-technique that will admit young students aged 18 -20 out of secondary school,” he said.
The NICO boss said the inaugural marking of the International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage calls for a renewed commitment and dedication to all aspects of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.
He said this should include using new global tools of cutting-edge technology, including the digital platform, artificial intelligence without losing the content and its intrinsic value.
“ Intangible Cultural Heritage means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural space associated therewith, that communities ,groups , individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage.
“This Intangible Cultural Heritage, transmitted from generation to generation is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment.
“It includes their interaction with nature and their history and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity,” he said.
Ajibode lamented that many young Nigerians were unable to speak their mother tongue , adding that if the trend is left unattended , many Nigerian languages may go extinct in the future.
“When it comes to the inability of children to speak their language,it is more of parental issue, and what we can do is to raise awareness among parents .
“We are making parents to understand that there is nothing to be ashamed of with our children speaking our languages fluently because if you cannot speak your language you have lost your identity,” he said. (NAN)